What is a Cathedral wedding veil and is it right for you?

If you watched Prince Harry and Meghan Markle get married you saw a perfect example of a cathedral wedding veil making a regal entrance. In this case, it was a 16-foot silk tulle veil. The terms cathedral and tulle do not refer to the style of her veil but to the length and fabric. The length of a cathedral veil is between 108-120" and it extends beyond the train of the wedding gown.

Silver Crystals Scrolled Scallop-Edge Bridal

Embellishing a Cathedral veil

Cathedral veils can remain elegantly simple and unadorned, but with all that fabric you have unlimited options of what you can do to embellish your veil if that's what you prefer. 

 

For instance, Meghan’s veil told a unique story as it included hand embroidered flowers which paid homage to all 53 Commonwealth countries. To make sure the veil remained pristine, those embroidering the flowers were required to wash their hands every 30 minutes. 

 

Probably the most uniquely decorated veil I can think of was the wedding veil worn by Angelina Jolie when she married Brad Pitt. It was embellished with artwork created by her children! 

You may not have someone to hand embroider your wedding veil, but you can find already-embellished cathedral veils with crystals, rhinestones, or sequins, or a cathedral veil with lace, or a two-tier cathedral veil with a blusher accent giving it a romantic vintage look.

Is a Cathedral right for your wedding dress?

While it may seem romantic to picture yourself walking the aisle wearing a cathedral veil, the real question to ask is whether or not such a long veil is really the right length for your dress and overall look? When buying your wedding veil, test various veils when you go for your first dress fitting. Start shopping for your veil early. You want a veil that complements your dress in flow and design. Often, designers offer veils crafted specifically to be paired with their dresses, so that’s a good place to start looking. If you’re sporting a more informal overall look, it will be better to consider a shorter veil that pops with personality and yet stays true to the look you’re after like a bandeau or blusher, while the cathedral veil lends itself to a more formal traditional look.

Cathedral Veil with Blusher

If you want a long veil, but a cathedral bridal veil is too long, try a chapel wedding veil (90 inches) or a floor-length wedding veil (72 inches). If you don’t find the veil you love, you can always have a veil custom made based on your specifications.

Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

Thanks so much for being part of our success.